the spirit of laws-第116节

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ould　force　us　to　receive　it　by　tortures。

〃If　you　were　wise；　you　would　not　put　us　to　death　for　no　other　reason　than　because　we　are　unwilling　to　deceive　you。　If　your　Christ　is　the　son　of　God；　we　hope　he　will　reward　us　for　being　so　unwilling　to　profane　his　mysteries；　and　we　believe　that　the　God　whom　both　you　and　we　serve　will　not　punish　us　for　having　suffered　death　for　a　religion　which　he　formerly　gave　us；　only　because　we　believe　that　he　still　continues　to　give　it。

〃You　live　in　an　age　in　which　the　light　of　nature　shines　more　brightly　than　it　has　ever　done；　in　which　philosophy　has　enlightened　human　understanding；　in　which　the　morality　of　your　gospel　has　been　better　known；　in　which　the　respective　rights　of　mankind　with　regard　to　each　other　and　the　empire　which　one　conscience　has　over　another　are　best　understood。　If　you　do　not　therefore　shake　off　your　ancient　prejudices；　which；　whilst　unregarded；　mingle　with　your　passions；　it　must　be　confessed　that　you　are　incorrigible；　incapable　of　any　degree　of　light　or　instruction；　and　a　nation　must　be　very　unhappy　that　gives　authority　to　such　men。

〃Would　you　have　us　frankly　tell　you　our　thoughts？　You　consider　us　rather　as　your　enemies　than　as　the　enemies　of　your　religion；　for　if　you　loved　your　religion　you　would　not　suffer　it　to　be　corrupted　by　such　gross　ignorance。

〃It　is　necessary　that　we　should　warn　you　of　one　thing；　that　is；　if　any　one　in　times　to　come　shall　dare　to　assert　that　in　the　age　in　which　we　live；　the　people　of　Europe　were　civilised；　you　will　be　cited　to　prove　that　they　were　barbarians；　and　the　idea　they　will　have　of　you　will　be　such　as　will　dishonour　your　age　and　spread　hatred　over　all　your　contemporaries。〃

14。　Why　the　Christian　Religion　is　so　odious　in　Japan。　We　have　already　mentioned　the　perverse　temper　of　the　people　of　Japan。＇22＇　The　magistrates　considered　the　firmness　which　Christianity　inspires；　when　they　attempted　to　make　the　people　renounce　their　faith；　as　in　itself　most　dangerous；　they　fancied　that　it　increased　their　obstinacy。　The　law　of　Japan　punishes　severely　the　least　disobedience。　The　people　were　ordered　to　renounce　the　Christian　religion；　they　did　not　renounce　it；　this　was　disobedience；　the　magistrates　punished　this　crime；　and　the　continuance　in　disobedience　seemed　to　deserve　another　punishment。

Punishments　among　the　Japanese　are　considered　as　the　revenge　of　an　insult　done　to　the　prince；　the　songs　of　triumph　sung　by　our　martyrs　appeared　as　an　outrage　against　him：　the　title　of　martyr　provoked　the　magistrates；　in　their　opinion　it　signified　rebel；　they　did　all　in　their　power　to　prevent　their　obtaining　it。　Then　it　was　that　their　minds　were　exasperated；　and　a　horrid　struggle　was　seen　between　the　tribunals　that　condemned　and　the　accused　who　suffered；　between　the　civil　laws　and　those　of　religion。

15。　Of　the　Propagation　of　Religion。　All　the　people　of　the　East；　except　the　Mahometans；　believe　all　religions　in　themselves　indifferent。　They　fear　the　establishment　of　another　religion　no　otherwise　than　as　a　change　in　government。　Among　the　Japanese；　where　there　are　many　sects；　and　where　the　state　has　had　for　so　long　a　time　an　ecclesiastical　superior；　they　never　dispute　on　religion。＇23＇　It　is　the　same　with　the　people　of　Siam。＇24＇　The　Calmucks＇25＇　do　more；　they　make　it　a　point　of　conscience　to　tolerate　every　species　of　religion；　at　Calicut　it　is　a　maxim　of　the　state　that　every　religion　is　good。＇26＇

But　it　does　not　follow　hence；　that　a　religion　brought　from　a　far　distant　country；　and　quite　different　in　climate；　laws；　manners；　and　customs；　will　have　all　the　success　to　which　its　holiness　might　entitle　it。　This　is　more　particularly　true　in　great　despotic　empires：　here　strangers　are　tolerated　at　first；　because　there　is　no　attention　given　to　what　does　not　seem　to　strike　at　the　authority　of　the　prince。　As　they　are　extremely　ignorant；　a　European　may　render　himself　agreeable　by　the　knowledge　he　communicates：　this　is　very　well　in　the　beginning。　But　as　soon　as　he　has　any　success；　when　disputes　arise　and　when　men　who　have　some　interest　become　informed　of　it；　as　their　empire；　by　its　very　nature；　above　all　things　requires　tranquillity；　and　as　the　least　disturbance　may　overturn　it；　they　proscribe　the　new　religion　and　those　who　preach；　it：　disputes　between　the　preachers　breaking　out；　they　begin　to　entertain　a　distaste　for　a　religion　on　which　even　those　who　propose　it　are　not　agreed。

______

1。　St。　Cyril's　Letter。

2。　This　does　not　contradict　what　I　have　said　in　the　last　chapter　of　the　preceding　book：　I　here　speak　of　the　motives　of　attachment　of　religion；　and　there　of　the　means　of　rendering　it　more　general。

3。　This　has　been　remarked　over　all　the　world。　See；　as　to　the　Turks；　the　Missions　of　the　Levant；　the　Collection　of　Voyages　that　Contributed　to　the　Establishment　of　the　East　India　Company；　iii；　part　I；　p。　201　on　the　Moors　of　Batavia；　and　Father　Labat　on　the　Mahometan　Negroes；　&c。

4。　The　Christian　and　the　Indian　religions：　these　have　a　hell　and　a　paradise；　which　the　religion　of　Sintos　has　not。

5。　Entering　the　mosque　of　Bochara；　he　took　the　Koran；　and　threw　it　under　his　horse's　feet。　　History　of　the　Tartars；　part　III；　p。　273。

6。　Ibid。；　p。　342。

7。　This　disposition　of　mind　has　been　communicated　to　the　Japanese；　who；　as　it　may　be　easily　proved；　derive　their　origin　from　the　Tartars。

8。　Annals；　iii。　60。

9。　Numb。；　35；　14。

10。　Ibid。；　16；　ff。

11。　De　Abstinentia　animal；　ii；　§　5。

12。　Lilius　Giraldus；　p。　726。

13。　A　people　of　Siberia。　See　the　account　given　by　Mr。　Everard　Ysbrant　Ides；　in　the　Collection　of　Travels　to　the　North；　viii。

14。　Mr。　Hyde。

15。　Laws；　x。

16。　Rogum　vino　ne　respergito　　Law　of　the　Twelve　Tables。

17。　Cicero　derives　these　appropriate　words　from　Plato；　Laws；　xii。　　ED。

18。　Laws；　iv。

19。　I　do　not　mean　to　speak　in　this　chapter　of　the　Christian　religion；　for；　as　I　have　elsewhere　observed；　the　Christian　religion　is　our　chief　blessing。　See　the　end　of　the　preceding　chapter；　and　the　Defence　of　the　Spirit　of　Laws；　part　II。

20。　In　the　Collection　of　Voyages　that　Contributed　to　the　Establishment　of　the　East　India　Company；　v；　part　1；　p。　192。

21。　The　source　of　the　blindness　of　the　Jews　is　their　not　perceiving　that　the　economy　of　the　Gospel　is　in　the　order　of　the　decrees　of　God　and　that　it　is　in　this　light　a　consequence　of　his　immutability。

22。　Book　vi。　13。

23。　See　Kempfer。

24。　Forbin；　Memoirs。

25。　History　of　the　Tartars；　part　V。

26。　Pirard；　Travels；　27。




Book　XXVI。　Of　Laws　in　Relation　to　the　Order　of　Things　Which　They　Determine

1。　Idea　of　this　Book。　Men　are　governed　by　several　kinds　of　laws；　by　the　law　of　nature；　by　the　divine　law；　which　is　that　of　religion；　by　ecclesiastical；　otherwise　called　canon　law；　which　is　that　of　religious　polity；　by　the　law　of　nations；　which　may　be　considered　as　the　civil　law　of　the　whole　globe；　in　which　sense　every　nation　is　a　citizen；　by　the　general　political　law；　which　relates　to　that　human　wisdom　whence　all　societies　derive　their　origin；　by　the　particular　political　law；　the　object　of　which　is　each　society；　by　the　law　of　conquest　founded　on　this；　that　one　nation　has　been　willing　and　able；　or　has　had　a　right　to　offer　violence　to　another；　by　the　civil　law　of　every　society；　by　which　a　citizen　may　defend　his　possessions　and　his　life　against　the　attacks　of　any　other　citizen；　in　fine；　by　domestic　law；　which　proceeds　from　a　society's　being　divided　into　several　families；　all　which　have　need　of　a　particular　government。

There　are　therefore　different　orders　of　laws；　and　the　sublimity　of　human　reason　consists　in　perfectly　knowing　to　which　of　these　orders　the　things　that　are　to　be　determined　ought　to　have　a　principal　relation；　and　not　to　throw　into　confusion　those　principles　which　should　govern　mankind。

2。　Of　Laws　divine　and　human。　We　ought　not　to　decide　by　divine　laws　what　should　be　decided　by　human　laws；　nor　determine　by　human　what　should　be　determined　by　divine　laws。

These　two　sorts　of　laws　differ　in　their　origin；　in　their　object；　and　in　their　nature。

It　is　universally　acknowledged；　that　human　laws　are；　in　their　own　nature；　different　from　those　of　religion；　this　is　an　important　principle：　but　this　principle　is　itself　subject　to　others；　which　must　be　inquired　into。

1。　It　is　in　the　nature　of　human　laws　to　be　subject　to　all　the　accidents　which　can　happen；　and　to　vary　in　proportion　as　the　will　of　man　changes；　on　the　contrary；　by　the　nature　of　the　laws　of　religion；　they　are　never　to　vary。　Human　laws　appoint　for　some　good；　those　of　religion　for　the　best：　good　may　have　another　object；　because　there　are　many　kinds　of　good；　but　the　best　is　but　one；　it　cannot　therefore　change。　We　may　alter　laws；　because　they　are　reputed　no　more　than　good；　but　the　institutions　of　religion　are　always　supposed　to　be　the　best。

2。　There　are　kingdoms　in　which　the　laws　are　of　no　value　as　they　depend　only　on　the　capricious　and　fickle　humour　of　the　sovereign。　If　in　these　kingdoms　the　laws　of　religion　were　of　the　same　nature　as　the　human　institutions；　the　laws　of　religion　too　would　be　of　no　value。　It　is　however；　necessary　to　the　society　that　it　should　have　something　fixed；　and　it　is　religion　that　has　this　stability。

3。　The　influence　of　religion　proceeds　from　its　being　believed；　that　of　human　laws　from　their　b